Veal Milanese alla Sinatra

Frank SInatra & Ava Gardner

“Mangia Bene”

VEAL MILANESE alla SINATRA

Veal Milanese? Now that’s Italian! Italian from Italy that is, and totally authentic to Italy and not an Italian-American invention. Veal Milanese is par-ticularly loved by New York and New Jersey Italian-Americans, but it’s a dish that is not often eaten at home. It is most often eaten in Italian Restaurants. Veal Milanese is a dish that when made in its most classic form and of the original recipe is made with a rib veal-chop that is pounded thin, then breaded, then fried in a combination of butter and oil to browned, crisp, and crunchy. It is put on a plate and topped with a salad of Arugala & Tomato. It is simple and delicious. Veal Milanese is simple and delicious, but cheap it’s not. This dish can cost you anywhere from about $29 to $42 a pop, with the average being about $39 in a restaurant. Not cheap! You can make it at home for about $10 or $12, considerably cheaper than 39 dollars. But guess what? Just like with our friend Veal Parmigiano, Veal Milanese can be made with chicken or pork. Yes, it’s no longer Veal Milanese, but Pork or Chicken Milanese. But guess what? It taste just as good, and it’s way cheaper. So if, you have a hankering for some Veal Milanese, but don’t want to spend $39 plus tip, plus tax, and you’ve got to have a least one glass of wine in a restaurant, that Veal Milanese with all the rest is gonna cost you about $65 or so. Dam! But you’ve got alternatives. You can make Veal Milanese at home for $10 to $12, or you can make Pork or Chicken Milanese for $3 or $4 a serving. Not a bad alternative.

Oh, and by the way, did you know that Veal Milanese was one of Frank Sinatra’s favorite dishes? Yes, ol Blue Eyes loved it, along with; a simple bowl of Spaghetti Pomodoro (Tomato Sauce), Clams Posillipo, Sausages, Meatballs, and of course Sunday Sauce. As many know, Patsy’s on West 56th Street in New York was Sinatra’s all-time favorite restaurant. He loved and adored the place, and ate there for more than 50 years. Frank liked his Veal Milanese at Patsy’s and he liked it a certain way, extra thin and extra crisp. Veal Milanese is already pounded thin to begin with, but Frank liked his even thinner, and at Patsy’s they always granted Frank’s request and gave him what he wanted, which was good-old, no-fuss Italian Food prepared to perfection. Basta!

1. Place four, eggs, and bread crumbs each in their own separate bowls.

2. Season cutlets with Salt & Pepper. Season eggs, Flour and breadcrumbs with salt & pepper

3. Dredge each veal cutlet in flour, and shake off excess flour.

4. Then dredge veal in eggs, shaking off excess flour before putting in to breadcrumbs.

5. Completely coat veal cutlets with breadcrumbs. Press bread crumbs in to the cutlets. Set Aside.

6. Heat oil over medium heat in a frying pan that is big enough to cook 2 cutlets at a time.

7. When oil is hot enough for frying, add butter and turn heat to high. Add 2 of the breaded cutlets and fry on each side to slightly golden brown. Remove fried cutlets to a plate with paper towels and keep warm.

8. Fry other 2 cutlets until golden brown on each side.

9. Place Arugala and Tomatoes in a mixing bowl. Olive Oil and Vinegar. Season with Salt & Pepper to taste. Toss Salad.

10. Place each cooked Veal Cutlet on a plate each. top each cutlet with salad. Place a half lemon on each plate and serve your Veal Milanese